


More Beautiful Than the Puzzle

by ponymom



Series: More Beautiful Than the Puzzle [4]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:28:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25551313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponymom/pseuds/ponymom
Summary: Harry needs to find a mate in order to inherit his father's title and estate. But there are lots of interested suitors, with many only interested in the potential wealth and status that the Earl of Darlington comes with. Is there a worthy mate out there? Maybe what the real challenge is is not what the suitors are searching for...This story will be a challenge within a challenge, a story about a challenge inside of this Wordplay challenge.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: More Beautiful Than the Puzzle [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865008
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34
Collections: Prompt 4.4: Shot





	More Beautiful Than the Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge for the prompt "shot". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/shot), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge (including years 1-3), [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works). You can also find the masterpost for this year’s challenge [here](https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/622306139518926848/wordplay-2020-every-week-for-five-weeks-a-prompt).

Part 4

Time passes and would-be suitors came to the castle in pairs, ever hopeful to find the cat and possess the key to viscount’s room and fortune and each day, Louis would find his place under the tree to watch the antics and strategies of those who came. Each passing day, he watched as men and women would engage in all kinds of methods to attract the cat, yet at the end of the day, each one was sent off unsuccessful in their quest.

Some days Louis saw the cat as it led the searchers on a merry chase. Some days, neither he nor the searchers were ever to lay eyes on the feline. Some days, Harry joined Louis under the tree to watch the search. At first, they would share observations about those involved in the challenge and their methods. But as time passed, they started talking about life in the town outside the castle, Louis’ life and family, Harry’s thoughts about the challenge and his position, just generally chatting about all kinds of topics. Some days, Harry was dressed casually, as he was in the first times that Louis saw him, other times, he was wearing more formal clothes, as if he had to attend a meeting. Then there were the days that Louis didn’t see Harry at all. It was these days when Louis sat by himself under the tree that he found himself wondering what Harry’s reaction would be to a certain searchers approach, or to tell him about something that happened in town or with his family. In general, when Harry wasn’t there, Louis found himself missing his company. 

Little did Louis realize that Harry was also missing Louis’ company of the days that he couldn’t join him under the tree due to his duties. He missed Louis' sharp wit and running commentary about life outside the castle grounds, which Harry was seldom able to see. He was gaining some valuable insight into life in the town that he would be in charge of when he inherited the lands. But mostly he just missed Louis’ company. But Louis had already stated that he was merely an observer and wasn’t going to participate in the challenge. Harry didn’t know if it was because he wasn't interested in him or didn’t think that a common person from town would be allowed to enter the challenge. Harry sought out his father once again about the pressing issue of finding a mate.

“I might have a bit of a cock-up” Harry admitted after sitting down with his father in his father’s study.

“What do you mean? I thought that the whole idea of the challenge you thought up was to sort out the ones who were not serious about being your mate and those who were. It's been going smoothly so far. How has something gone wrong?”

“I think that I have found someone that I would like to have for a mate, but they haven’t entered the challenge. It might be because they think that they don’t have a status that would make them to be considered the mate of a future Earl. What are your thoughts on this?”

Harry’s father thought for a moment. “Do you consider this person to be the type of person that you could picture yourself mated to, spending the rest of your life with and making your partner?”

“Yes, I do. I think that he is a wonderful person who cares about his family, has a wonderful sense of humour and a good set of values. He also has some good insight as to how things go on in town and ways to improve things there. Most of all, when I don’t get to see him, I miss his company.” Harry replied to his father.

“I take it that Louis lives in town and is just a commoner, correct?”

“That is correct. We never said in the proclamation about the challenge that there was any requirement of rank in order to enter the challenge. But I wanted to ask your opinion before I asked him one last time if he wanted to give the challenge a shot.”

Harry’s father needed to hear no more. “You thought up this challenge, which may have been a procrastination on your part, but if it led you to find someone outside of the normal circle, and you have these feelings for him and he shares these feelings, then by all means, I would welcome him to be your mate.”

Harry blushed a bit at his father’s observation about his stalling method with the challenge, and he wasn’t entirely wrong in his observation, but what he focused on what he was given. A chance to meet Louis and to learn about him and finally, to grow to love him. Now, he just needed to make certain that Louis felt the same way.

Harry left the study and headed out of the castle to find Louis under his tree watching yet another pair of seekers poking about the garden in search of his cat. Today, there was a man with a bucket of fish and a fishing line that he would cast about in hopes of luring out the cat. Louis looked up and smiled as Harry approached. 

“I think the cat has some insight into these blokes. I wouldn’t fall for something as basic as a fish on a line and I am certain the cat wouldn’t either” Louis observed.

Harry grinned and took a seat besides Louis. “No, I don’t think I would be interested in that at all”. 

Harry pondered his next steps. He wanted to encourage Louis to enter the challenge, but only if he had the same feelings as he did.

“I missed our little chat yesterday. Did you see anything interesting?” Harry asked, testing the waters.

“On this lot looking for the cat? No, nothing really. But my sister thinks that the Viscount is just making things up in order to find a way to make his own choice. What do you think?”

Harry grinned a bit sheepishly. “I think she might be onto something. After all, finding a mate is important, someone to spend the rest of your life with and share responsibility with. And most importantly, someone who is special and would love the Viscount, inheritance or no. Someone that the Viscount would love, no matter what the person's circumstances or rank. I think that when the proclamation was made, there wasn’t any stipulation about rank or anything else. Anyone could enter the challenge. Maybe that was the goal all along. To wait until someone who didn’t think that they would have a chance would come along and give it a shot. Someone that was special to the Viscount.” Harry concluded, hoping that Louis would get his meaning.

Louis gave Harry a questioning look and decided to come clean in order to make certain that what he thought Harry was saying really was what he was saying.

“I know you are the Viscount, you know.”

“I thought that you might, but I couldn’t tell for certain.” 

“Why did you really issue this challenge?” 

“I wanted to see if anyone who wasn’t the usual type would show up for the challenge. Someone who would be honest and kind, someone that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I know all these people” Harry gestured out to the two seekers currently in the garden. “That man was at the last ball at the castle and tried to convince me that he had a brilliant idea for investing my father’s money into his farm to expand his cattle breeding. He isn’t interested in me. I don’t want that type of a person for a mate. I want to find someone who wants me.” Harry finished, hoing against hope that Louis understood.

“What if that person doesn’t enter the challenge?”

“I really, REALLY hope that they do. Otherwise, this could go on for quite some time and if my father passes without me finding my mate, then I don’t know what will happen, but I don’t want to settle for one of these” Harry gestures out to the searcher with the fishing line, who has gotten it snagged in some of the decorative shrubs. 

“Do you know how many more have entered the challenge?” Louis inquires.

“That’s what I am concerned about .Tomorrow are the last two that were here on the first day when the lots were drawn. After that, I don’t know if anyone else is going to accept the challenge. I certainly hope that someone who has some insight on what this challenge is about comes forward.” Harry can’t come out and say what he wants to say because Louis has to make that decision for himself.

Louis takes a deep breath. “You might just be surprised.”

Harry looks back to the garden “I certainly hope so” he muses. “Tell me, what else does your sister think about me?”


End file.
